At the age of seven, Malerie walked away from a bombing that left hundreds dead—including her mother. When a crazed gunman kills her guardian on her eighteenth birthday, Malerie suspects there may be more to her survival than luck. A mysterious code holds the key to her future, and a reluctant white knight holds the key to her heart.

A loner wearing emotional armor…

Ace is a twenty-year-old entrepreneur focusing on two things in life: financial security and a life without ties. A life that doesn’t risk losing the ones who matter. When Ace is hired to secretly act as a bodyguard for Malerie, he faces an unwanted attraction that threatens to sabotage his heart. Can Ace find the courage to love a girl with a death wish?

Brinda Berry lives in the southern US with her family and two spunky cairn terriers. She has a BSE in English and French and a MEd in Learning Systems Technology. She's terribly fond of chocolate, coffee, and books that take her away from reality. She doesn't mind being called a geek or "crazy dog lady". When she's not working the day job or writing a novel, she's guilty of surfing the internet for no good reason.

Excerpt:

"Malerie
has been through a lot. JT and I have been the only life she has known. The
short story is that JT became her guardian after she lost her mother. You know
about the bombing in Chicago eleven years ago?"

"Yeah. I
think I know the one. I was a kid, but it sounds familiar." It’s more than familiar. I don’t mention that I also lived in Chicago during that
time. I remember when it happened. My little brother and I were glued to the
television, home alone and listening for the scrape of the key in the door
lock. Mom had stayed out all night. It was in the days before the boyfriends
stayed at our place.

Which was how
we liked it.

"She
never even knew her father," Billy says.

I take a sip
and lean forward, resting my elbows on my knees. "She doesn't have any
grandparents?"

"No. And
JT was a very wealthy man."

"Figured
that out." I look around the room at the fireplace mantel lined with black
and white photos in silver frames. "That chandelier in the foyer probably
cost more than I make in a year."

"Exactly."

"Listen.
I feel sorry for the girl. I do. But what does this have to do with me?

"Malerie
has spent much of her life here and she suffers from anxiety about her life
before JT. She is also very naive about the world and will most likely want to
go out into it. I'm old and won't be around much longer to protect her."
Billy sits in the nearest chair. "I trust you for some reason. You took
care of Malerie as a stranger because you're a good man. You also have the
exact skills I'm looking for."

"What
kind of skills might those be?"

"You've
worked in security, right?"

I chuckle at
the thought of my last job as a night watchman at a casino. "So, you want
me to…?"

"Malerie
needs a companion to protect her. Someone to take her places."

"Like a
male escort? I'm not a dating service." I can't help but be amused at the
thought. My body temperature notches up along with my interest.

"And
it's a good thing. The last thing she needs is a date. Malerie doesn’t
date. She’s not comfortable in unfamiliar
places. We need better security here and you have a security background.
Malerie might need a driver. We would pay you well."

"Did you
say she doesn’t date?" My eyebrows rise and
it's difficult to hold back the disbelief. Not possible. The way she looked at
me that night in the restaurant tells a different story. Toombs was probably so
strict that lying was the only option. She lied or Toombs kept her locked up
24/7.

Billy waves
his hand around to indicate the non-importance of the last question. "Will
you take on this job or not? You might be able to buy a chandelier or
two." Billy nods his head in the direction of the foyer.

Yeah, not
many chandeliers on my want list.

"Again—why me? I
gave Mr. Toombs a bid on a security system. And I'm not too fond of playing the
lead role in Driving Miss Malerie."